1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to furniture in general, and more particularly to furniture that utilizes seating surfaces made out of natural or synthetic rattan materials.
2) Description of Related Art
There are various characteristics that are important in the design and manufacture of furniture. For example, many articles of furniture, aside from purely decorative articles, are designed to bear a certain load, for example, the weight of a person sitting in a chair or the weight of articles supported by a bookshelf. As such, manufacturers chose structures and materials that are designed to achieve a certain level of performance. However, this performance must be balanced with other practical considerations, such as aesthetic appeal, comfort, cost, and durability.
In order to produce an article of furniture that creates a desired balance between these characteristics, many furniture manufacturers experiment with the use of different materials. One of the common materials used in the production of furniture is rattan. Rattan refers to a lightweight, tough fiber obtained in strips from the stem of a plant that can be woven together. Rattan is light, durable, and relatively strong, and can be painted or stained like hardwoods. Many furniture manufacturers use rattan to create chairs, couches, dressers, and other pieces of furniture. The strength, durability, and light weight of rattan makes it ideal for inexpensive casual furniture applications. As a result, rattan is often chosen for outdoor furniture such as patio chairs and couches.
In a continuing effort to decrease costs, some furniture manufacturers use synthetic materials to imitate the light, durable, and strong performance of rattan furniture. Because certain consumers prefer the look of woven furniture, some of these manufacturers produce furniture articles that have the appearance of natural fibers, but are actually woven strips of synthetic material. These materials are often referred to as synthetic rattan materials. For the purposes of the current specification and appended claims, the term “rattan” will be used to refer to both natural and synthetic rattan materials.
Because of cost considerations and the strength of a web of rattan material, a typical rattan chair uses a single web of woven material to produce the support portions (the seating and back surfaces). However, these portions can be very firm and thus the aesthetical appeal of rattan seating and back surfaces may be compromised by a lack of comfort. To accommodate these concerns, some furniture manufacturers include a decorative cushion that may be placed on top of the support portions. However, some consumers complain that the cushions obscure the aesthetic appeal of the rattan surfaces.
Therefore, there is a need for an improved support portion for use with rattan furniture. The support portion should provide improved comfort, while maintaining the aesthetical appeal of the rattan furniture. The improved support portion should be simple and cost effective.